The present invention relates to a boot control method for use in a computer system redundantly configured in a SAN environment.
Recently, more and more computer systems are booted via a fibre-channel-connected storage area network (SAN). In a conventional redundancy configuration computer system where booting is performed from a built-in hard disk of each computer, the operating system and application programs must be installed in both the primary computer and the secondary computer in a similarly configured form. On the other hand, when booting is performed in a SAN environment, the primary computer and the secondary computer can share the same RAID device via the SAN, allowing the primary computer and the secondary computer to share the software image in which the operating system is installed.
However, in a computer system where booting is performed in the SAN environment, the RAID device has the security function that enables only a computer to access the corresponding logical unit to protect data in the logical unit in the RAID device where the operating system is installed. Usually, this security function uses a unique ID (World Wide Name), assigned to the fibre channel port installed in each computer, to associate the logical unit where the operating system is installed with the unique ID (World Wide Name) assigned to the fibre channel port of the computer to allow only access from the fibre channel port with the ID (World Wide Name). In some cases, the ID unique to the device (World Wide Name) is recorded in the software including the operating system.
A prior art technology for the security function of a RAID device is disclosed in JP-A-2002-149599. A prior art technology for altering and taking over a World Wide Name in the fibre channel interface is disclosed in JP-A-2002-126310.